Suffering from Allergies? The Culprit May Be In Your Flower Bed

Planning a garden with flowers that won’t make you sneeze can make spring more enjoyable for allergy sufferers.

The arrival of spring brings sunny weather, beautiful blooms and more time spent outside. For some people, however, spring also brings pollen to flare up the annoying symptoms of allergy sufferers. Choosing the flowers in your garden carefully and changing a few habits can help you deal with flower allergies and still enjoy the spring weather.

Safe Flowers for Allergy Sufferers
Some flowers release very small amounts of pollen, making them a good choice for those with flower allergies. These are typically flowers that contain female and male parts within the same bloom, reducing the need for the plant to send out pollen in the air. Popular spring bulbs, including tulips and daffodils, fit this criteria. Rose bushes are a favorite plant for many gardeners and are also a safe choice for allergy sufferers. Other safe flowers include crocuses, irises, pansies and petunias. Plants that don’t have large blooms, such as cactuses, can make a good substitute for flowers with plentiful pollen.

Flowers to Avoid
Flowers that only contain one gender must release pollen to reproduce. The daisy family is home to a list of the worst offenders, including dahlias, asters, chrysanthemums and daisies. Sunflowers are also a part of the daisy family, but there are some varieties of sunflowers that cause little pain to allergy sufferers because the flower’s pollen is too heavy to travel.

Other Tips for Easing Your Environmental Allergies
Changing the plants in your garden can help alleviate some of your allergy symptoms, but you can’t control the flowers in your neighborhood. Skip yard work on days when the pollen count in your area is high. Avoid lingering outside on days with high winds that carry pollen right to you. If you must go outside during a period of high pollen count, consider wearing a paper or respirator mask to further prevent pollen allergy symptoms.

You can also enlist your washing machine in your fight against pollen. After a long day of work outside, toss your clothes into the washer and change into something fresh. This removes any pollen stuck to your clothes and prevents it from causing further flare-ups. Washing your sheets frequently can help eliminate pollen that accumulates on your bedding. Use your vacuum regularly to get rid of pollen tracked indoors on your family’s shoes.

If changing your flowers and your habits still hasn’t eased your environmental allergies, talking to a team of allergy specialists may be the next step. Allergy & Asthma Physicians of Rhode Island, located in Providence, is dedicated to helping allergy sufferers in the local area. Contact us today for help with your pollen allergy symptoms.